Episode 9: Making Sense of the role of civil society organizations in monitoring EU funds in Hungary and Poland

In this episode, host Anna Gelencsér from the Hungarian Helsinki Committee speaks with Anna Grudzinska of the National Federation of Polish NGOs (OFOP) and András Léderer from the Hungarian Helsinki Committee about the role of civil society organizations in monitoring EU funds in Hungary and Poland.

The discussion highlights both shared and country-specific challenges. In both contexts, CSOs must navigate slow-moving bureaucratic structures, heavy workloads, and limited resources. However, while OFOP draws on over two decades of structured experience in Poland, civil society participation in Hungary’s monitoring committees is a relatively recent development. This new engagement is unfolding in a politically hostile environment, with growing pressure on independent organizations—most notably through the actions of the Sovereignty Protection Office.

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